Naked man named Christ arrested, claimed to be Jesus, know COVID-19 cure, Horry cops say
A man named Christ told police that he was Jesus and knows the cure to COVID-19 - claims he made after his arrest for being naked in a neighbor’s yard in Little River.
An Horry County police report details the odd arrest of Christ George Burkhammer, 53, midday Tuesday.
An officer responded to Little River for an incident exposure call and found Burkhammer nude in a neighbor’s yard. He rambled about God and told the officer to remove his ankle monitor, according to a police report.
The officer told him to lay on the ground and put his hands behind his back. But, because of Burkhammer’s size and mental state, the officer waited for backup, the report states.
Burkhammer got off the ground and told the officer he was going in his home, the report states. Inside, officers went to his bedroom and put him in handcuffs.
His roommate told the police that Burkhammer went to a nearby store to buy something for his lawnmower. When Burkhammer returned, he started to act erratically. Burkhamme removed his clothes and banged on the front door to get inside. He then laid on the ground and started to eat leaves off a bush, before walking down the street naked.
Burkhammer told police he was working on his lawnmower and might have inhaled starter fluid, which could have impacted his behavior, according to the report.
Police found a pill bottle while on the scene with a substance that appeared organic, but had a strong chemical smell, the report states.
An officer took Burkhammer to J. Reuben Long Detention Center. The officer noted that Burkhammer was quiet for most of the ride, but then talked about how he was Jesus Christ and knew a cure for COVID-19, according to the report. He also said he could speak in tongues and began rambling in an unknown language.
When cops went to get him out of the car, Burkhammer was unresponsive and had to be revived with smelling salts. Authorities took Burkhammer to the hospital who cleared him and then returned him to jail.
